Debate over need for new home for Flames reignites

Rumours have long circulated about plans to replace the Scotiabank Saddledome, opened in 1983, though team officials will say only that work toward securing a new facility is ongoing.

Coun. Druh Farrell said on Twitter on Friday that “there is no support for (a) publicly funded arena.”Leah Hennel

Kiss performs at the Saddledome last year. Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke says the city is missing out on some major concerts because of the limitations of the 31-year-old facility.Ted Rhodes Ted Rhodes
/ Calgary Herald

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While the Calgary Flames’ desire for another arena is certainly nothing new, Brian Burke put his signature snarly spin on the subject Thursday at...

The debate over whether Calgary needs a new hockey arena — and whether civic dollars should be used to fund a modern National Hockey League rink — ignited once again Friday after a Calgary Flames executive called the team’s current home an embarrassment.

Opened in 1983, the Scotiabank Saddledome is one of the league’s oldest sports facilities. Rumours about a new, ultra-modern facility have circulated for years but the team’s top brass has remained notoriously tight-lipped about the specifics of a new stadium, including possible locations and cost.

But speaking at a Calgary Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday, Brian Burke, president of hockey operations for the Flames, spoke out about the aging Saddledome, saying the arena no longer generates sufficient revenue and urgently needs to be replaced.

“A building has . . . to generate NHL economics, which ours does not,” he said. “Lower bowl in a new arena, in the new generation of arenas, is 9,000 seats, minimum. Ours is what, 6,000? So we’re not generating the revenue that an NHL building does.”

He also pointed out that aside from hockey interests, the city is also missing out on some major concerts due to the limitations of the Dome.

Construction is underway to build a state-of-the-art stadium in downtown Edmonton. The total cost of Rogers Place, the new home of the Oilers, is estimated at $606 million, funded in part by downtown growth levies and other Edmonton city sources.

Derek Fildebrandt, the Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, has started a petition to try to prevent public funds from being used in a similar way in Calgary.

“There are things the city can do to facilitate the building of a new NHL arena. They can assist with the regulatory process or cut through the red tape for a land deal,” he said.

“But there’s no room for public money. This is a business owned by billionaires paying millionaires. It’s grossly unfair to ask Calgarians to pick up the tab.”

Some councillors took to Twitter on Friday to state their position. “(The) answer is clear. There is no support for (a) publicly funded arena,” said Druh Farrell.

In a tweet, Fildebrandt accused Calgary’s mayor of “waffling” on the issue. But speaking to reporters, Naheed Nenshi said the city has yet to even receive a proposal for a new stadium, and so far any public discussion is pure speculation.

While city hall might be willing to expedite the development process, there are no plans to help finance new digs for Calgary’s NHL team. “I imagine most of the owners of the Flames have had a great year. Certainly, if they want to build (an arena) on their own, we’ll help them out as much as we can,” Nenshi said.

Ward 5 Coun. Ray Jones, council’s representative on the Saddledome Foundation’s board of directors, would like to see Calgarians have the final say.

“This truly is a plebiscite issue. If the citizens want it, fine. But they have to bear in mind that if you want money spent on something like that, it means other infrastructure will suffer,” he said.

“In Edmonton’s case, the arena is part of a revitalization of the city’s downtown core. Our downtown is doing just fine.”

Jones doesn’t believe the Saddledome is as antiquated as people think, noting that about $30 million was reinvested in the facility to fix damages caused by the June flood.

Calgary Flames CEO Ken King was unavailable for comment Friday. A spokesman for the team said work toward securing a new facility to replace the 31-year-old structure continues, but there is nothing to announce at the moment.

Burke, when asked Thursday about support for the project, said Calgarians needn’t be hockey fans to want a modern facility for the city.

“There’s absolutely no reason why we should watch a new building going up in Edmonton and we’ve got to play in a 1988 building here,” Burke said.

Ward 8 Coun. Evan Woolley said arenas around the world are built for multiple purposes, and there is a public benefit to their existence. “I don’t think we should use property tax dollars for a new arena. That said, we own significant amounts of land in and around the city and there would be benefits to help support the Calgary Flames in finding a new home.”

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